Combination of disc carrtridge and disc drive

ABSTRACT

A combination of a disc cartridge and a corresponding disc drive ( 102 ), the disc cartridge comprising a casing ( 108 ) and a disc shaped media ( 110 ) accommodated therein, wherein, during loading and/or unloading the disc cartridge into and/or from the disc drive, a portion ( 112 ) of the casing is deformed.

This invention relates to a combination of disc cartridge and disc driveand in particular to where a portion of the disc cartridge isdeformable.

It is well known to have removable media, for example floppy discs foruse in PCs and the like. The storage needs for compact mobile products,such as PDAs, mobile phones, digital cameras and the like is increasing,for example to support multimedia applications. Contemporary storagetechnologies provide data densities which permit small form factor discmedia formats; for a given data capacity, such media formats can offerlower cost than equivalent solid state storage.

There is a need to minimise the physical volume required forcorresponding drives for small form factor disc media. Loading andunloading disc cartridges into a disc drive unit requires a relativemovement of the disc and drive unit in a direction perpendicular to theplane of the disc, for example to engage the drive turntable and pick-upunit. Traditionally, this relative movement has been provided by aloading and unloading mechanism. A disadvantage is that the dimensionsof the drive unit must be sufficient to accommodate the requiredrelative movement and the associated mechanism. A further disadvantageis that a loading and unloading mechanism has a corresponding cost,which may be exacerbated by implementation within physically compactdrive units utilising small moving parts. A yet further disadvantage isthat unloading of the disc requires a specific disengagement operationcomprising a reversed relative movement in the direction perpendicularto the plane of the disc.

It is an object of the present invention to improve on the known art.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a combinationof a disc cartridge and a corresponding disc drive, the disc cartridgecomprising a casing and a disc shaped media accommodated therein,wherein, during loading and/or unloading the disc cartridge into and/orfrom the disc drive, a portion of the casing is deformed.

Preferably, in the state where the disc cartridge is fully loaded in thedisc drive, the casing is not deformed. For example, this allows thedisc cartridge, when fully loaded into the drive, to function inconventional fashion.

Optionally, in the state where the disc cartridge is fully loaded in thedisc drive, a portion of the casing is deformed. For example, thedeformation provides an interference fit between the casing and the discdrive so as to restrain the disc cartridge within the disc drive.

Advantageously, during loading and/or unloading the deformation enablesthe disc cartridge to pass a protuberance, for example part of aturntable and/or part of a pick-up unit. This avoids the need forseparate means in the drive unit to provide the relative movement of thedisc and drive unit in a direction perpendicular to the plane of thedisc, for example to engage the drive turntable and/or pick-up unit.This in turn means less physical volume is required for the disc drivemechanism. A further advantage is where during unloading the deformationenables the disc cartridge to pass a protuberance, this permits simpleunloading techniques, such as manually gripping and withdrawing thecartridge from the drive unit without any prior operation, for exampleto prior disengage the turntable and/or pick-up unit.

Further provided in accordance with the present invention is the disccartridge of claim 8 and disc drive as claimed in claim 9.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only,with reference to the accompanying figures in which:

FIG. 1 a shows, schematically, an embodiment comprising a combination ofa disc cartridge and a corresponding disc drive; and

FIG. 1 b shows, schematically, the disc cartridge of FIG. 1 a.

FIG. 1 a depicts, schematically (and not to scale), an embodimentcomprising a combination of a disc cartridge and a corresponding discdrive shown generally at 100. The disc cartridge comprises a casing 108and a disc shaped media 110 accommodated therein. The cartridge isloaded in direction 104 into disc drive 102 through an aperture 106 ofthe disc drive. A portion 112 of the casing of the cartridge isdeformable.

During loading of the cartridge to the disc drive the leading edge 122of portion 112 encounters bevelled edge 114 a which acts to deformportion 112 to enable the cartridge to pass turntable 116. Thedeformation may also enable the cartridge to pass a pick-up unit (notshown in FIG. 1 a). Turntable 116 also comprises a sprung loaded spigot120 which is depressed by portion 112 as it passes the turntable.

When the cartridge is fully loaded portion 112 has completed its passagepast the turntable such that trailing edge 124 of portion 112 has passedclear of bevelled edge 114 b. The planar side 126 of the casing 108 ofwhich portion 112 forms a part has an aperture 128 suitable toaccommodate the turntable 116 and bevelled edges 114 a and 114 b.Aperture 128 may be revealed during loading by moving a shutter (forclarity, not shown in FIG. 1 a). The co-operation of turntable andbevelled edges with the aperture may adequately restrain the disccartridge within the disc drive. Optionally, the leading edge 122 isalso deformed by co-operation of the casing with portions 118 within thedisc drive 102 thereby providing an interference fit between the casingand the disc drive so as to restrain the disc cartridge within the discdrive. When the cartridge is fully loaded sprung loaded spigot 120 is nolonger depressed by portion 112 and instead engages in an aperture ofthe disc shaped media 110 for example to align the media in relation tothe turntable, in preparation for accessing the disc by a pick-up unit(not shown in FIG. 1 a).

During the unloading of the cartridge from the disc drive unit thetrailing edge 124 of portion 112 encounters bevelled edge 114 b whichacts to deform portion 112 so as to pass turntable 116. As in theloading process, sprung loaded spigot 120 is depressed by portion 112 asit passes the turntable. During unloading, portion 112 is no longerdeformed once its leading edge 122 has passed clear of bevelled edge 114a.

FIG. 1 b depicts, schematically (and not to scale), the disc cartridgeof FIG. 1 a, shown generally at 150. The disc cartridge comprises thecasing 108 and disc shaped media 110 (with drive hole 130) accommodatedtherein. A planar side 126 of the casing 108 has an aperture 128suitable to accommodate the turntable 116 and bevelled edges 114 a and114 b, as discussed above in relation to FIG. 1 a. The aperture may beexposed by a shutter arrangement (not shown in FIG. 1 b). Side 126 alsocomprises deformable portion 112 comprising a leading edge 122 (denotedaccording to the loading direction 104 of the disc into the disc drive)and a trailing edge 124. Portions 118 within the disc drive 102 may bearranged to interfere at any point or points along the leading edge 122;alternatively, another deformable portion of the casing may be used toprovide an interference fit with the disc drive so as to restrain thedisc cartridge within the disc drive. In other embodiments, the leadingand/or trailing edge of the deformable portion 112 may be arcuate orother suitable profile. The deformable portion of the casing 108 may bearranged according to the needs of a particular embodiment and maycomprise one or more portions, each portion may extend further thanactually required for a particular corresponding disc drive.

The foregoing implementations are presented by way of example only andrepresent a selection of a range of implementations that can readily beidentified by a person skilled in the art to exploit the advantages ofthe present invention. Disc cartridges other than those which arerectangular can also embody the invention, for example a disc cartridgewherein one or more edges are arcuate.

In the description above and with reference to FIG. 1 a there isdisclosed a combination of a disc cartridge and a corresponding discdrive 102, the disc cartridge comprising a casing 108 and a disc shapedmedia 110 accommodated therein, wherein, during loading and/or unloadingthe disc cartridge into and/or from the disc drive, a portion 112 of thecasing is deformed.

1. A combination of a disc cartridge and a corresponding disc drive(102), the disc cartridge comprising a casing (108) and a disc shapedmedia (110) accommodated therein, wherein, during loading and/orunloading the disc cartridge into and/or from the disc drive, a portion(112) of the casing is deformed.
 2. A combination of a disc cartridgeand a corresponding disc drive as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in thestate where the disc cartridge is fully loaded in the disc drive, thecasing is not deformed.
 3. A combination of a disc cartridge and acorresponding disc drive as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the statewhere the disc cartridge is fully loaded in the disc drive, a portion ofthe casing is deformed.
 4. A combination of a disc cartridge and acorresponding disc drive as claimed in claim 3, wherein the deformationprovides an interference fit between the casing and the disc drive so asto restrain the disc cartridge within the disc drive.
 5. A combinationof a disc cartridge and a corresponding disc drive as claimed in claim1, wherein during loading and/or unloading the deformation enables thedisc cartridge to pass a protuberance.
 6. A combination of a disccartridge and a corresponding disc drive as claimed in claim 5, whereinthe protuberance is at least part of a turntable (116).
 7. A combinationof a disc cartridge and a corresponding disc drive as claimed in claim6, wherein the protuberance is at least part of a pick-up unit.
 8. Adisc cartridge comprising a casing and a disc shaped media accommodatedtherein, wherein during loading and/or unloading the disc cartridge intoand/or from a corresponding disc drive, a portion of the casing isdeformed.
 9. A disc drive configured to deform a corresponding disccartridge, comprising a casing and a disc shaped media accommodatedtherein, during loading and/or unloading of the disc cartridge intoand/or from the disc drive.